Binnacle



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. M. WHERREN.

BINNAGLE. No. 591,442. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

v (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P; M. WHERREN. BINNAGLE.

1N0; 591,442. Patented OQt 12, 1897.

UNITED STATES IATENT FFrcE.

FRANK M. I/VHERREN, OF SOUTH ELLIOT, MAINE.

BAINNAC'LVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591, 14.52, dated October 12, 1897. Application filed Jul 2,1896. se ial No. 697,812. (in model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK M. WHERREN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at South of the lighting apparatus. Fig. at is a sectional view of the light-tube on line 4 4:,Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal view of a portion of the horizontal light-tube IGPIG'. sented in Fig. 2 with the inclosed tube con-.

taining the mirrors shown in full. Fig. 6 is a central vertical sectional View of the mirrorsupporting tube represented in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a central sectional view of the light-tube represented in, Fig. 3 with the mirror-supporting tube shown in full, and Fig. 8 is a central sectional view of the mirror-supporting tube represented in Fig. 7.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

The object of my present invention is to provide means for properly lighting the. face of the compass and concentrating the entire light thereon, so as to prevent the light from being reflected from the inside of the binnacle through the window; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and set forth in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the outer case or box of a binnacle, B the compass contained therein, and O the lamps by which the binnacle is lighted.

' Figs. 1 and 2 show an arrangement for lightingin which two lamps are employed, and Fig. 3 an arrangement using'but one lamp. When two lamps are used, I support a horizontal light-tube in the upper portion of the box A, above the compass 'B, with its endsopen and extending through the sides of the box to receive and support the lamps O. Directly above the center of the compass the tubeD communicates with a vertical cross-tube E, preferably open at its upper and lower ends and adapted to receive a tube F, which is inserted at the upper end of the tube 0 and is open at its lower end. The tube F is closed at its upper end by a cap F and is provided with a bead F which bears against the upper end of the tube E and supports the tube F in its proper vertical position. The tube F is cut away upon opposite sides, as at F F, to admit light from the lamp 0. 7 Supported within the tube F are mirrors G G, each arranged at an angle of forty-five degrees to the axis of the tube D, so that the light passing from the outer ends of the tube D to the center will strike the mirrors G G and be reflected in a vertical line downward through the open end of the tube F upon the faceof the compass. If but one lamp is required, it can be placed at either end of the horizontal tube D and the opposite end of the tube D closed.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a preferable construction in case a single lamp is employed. Instead of the horizontal tube D, extending through box A from side to side, I'employ a horizontal tube H, extending from the rear side' of the tube to the center and provided at its end with a vertical cross-tube 1, preferably open at its upper and lowerends and adapted to receive an inner tube J. (Represented in Figs. '7 and 8.) The tube J I is open at its lower end and is closed at its upper end by a cap J. One side of the tube J is cut away at J opposite the tube H, to admit light to a mirror K, supported within the tube J and at an angle of forty-five degrees with the axis of the tube H, so that light entering from the outer.

end of the tube H will be reflected in a vertical line downward through the lower open end of the tube J upon the face of the compass. The inner tube J is supported in a proper vertical position by a bead J bearing upon the upper end of the vertical tubev I. The tube H extends through the rear side of the box A to support alamp O, and the tube H is supported in a horizontal position by a screw-threaded rod L, attached to the tube H and extended upwardly through a slot M in the top of the box A. The rod L carries nuts N and N above and below the top of the box, which allow the proper adjustment of the tube H. Instead of the inner tubes F and J the mirrors G and K can be supported directly by the light-tubes themselves, but the employment of detachable inner tubes for the support of the mirrors affords a convenient method for removing and replacing the mirrors when necessary.

By means of my improved lighting apparatus a smaller lamp is effective to adequately illuminate the face of the compass, and all the light admitted to the inside of the binnacle is conducted by and delivered in divergent rays from the lower ends of the Vertical lighttubes, throwing a disk of light over the face of the compass and leaving the remaining interior of the binnacle in shadow and preventing the reflection of light from the interior of the binnacle through the window 0.

The tubes D and E and also the tubes H and I constitute single tubes having horizontal and vertical members, the horizontal member forming a light-conveying tube and the vertical member in the present instance forming a case to receive the inner mirror-supporting tubes F and J. The inner surfaces of the light-conveying tubes are preferably burnished to provide a reflecting-surface.

I increase the height of the case A in order to secure suflicient space in the-top of the case to receive thelight-conveying tubes and bring the lower end of the vertical tube considerable distance above the face of the compass and allow an unobstructed view of the compass through the window 0, which I place in the front and at a slight angle from a vertical plane in order to bring the line of vision below the lower end of the vertical light-tube.

By elevating the vertical light-tube considerable distance above the face of the compass I am able to reduce the diameter of the vertical light-tube and avail myself of the divergence of the rays of light to cover the face of the compass-that is, I am able to cause a small quantity of intense light emerging from a small opening to spread itself over a larger area and thereby become diffused and softened, so that the glare reflected from the face of the compass will be obviated.

I am aware that compasses have been illuminated by lamps placed outside the case and that a tubular reflector has been known to throw the light through an opening therein upon the face of the compass, having the effect of breaking up the light by numerous reflectors within itself and thus render it less glaring upon emerging through the opening. I do not claim such a construction. It is the purpose of my invention to produce as few reflections of the light as possible in order to preserve its intensity when emerging from the light-conveying tubes andto obviate the glare by elevating the opening a considerable dis- I 'to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a binnacle, the combination of a case,

a compass inclosed therein and a lamp, of a light-conveying tube, whereby light is conducted from said lamp and delivered upon the face of said compass, an inner removable tube held in said light-conveying tube, and

"a mirror supported by said removable inner tube, substantially as described.

2. In a binnacle, the combination with a case and compass inclosed therein, of a horizontal tube extending from the interior to the outside of said case and adj ustably supported thereby, a lamp supported by the outer end of said horizontal tube, and a Vertical tube supported by the inner end of said horizontal tube and communicating therewith and having an open end directly above said compass, said tubes being adjustable relatively to said compass, substantially as described.

3. In a binnacle, the combination, with a case and compass inclosed therein of a horizontal tube extending from the interior to the outside of said case and supported thereby, a lamp supported by the outer end of said horizontal tube, a vertical tube communicating with said horizontal tube and having an open end directly above said compass, said horizontal tube being capable of sliding in said case and a screw-threaded rod attached to said horizontal tube and adjustably held by said case, whereby said tubes are adjusted relatively to said compass, substantially as described.

4. In a binnacle, the combination of a case, a compass inclosed therein and a lamp, of a horizontal light-conveying tube having its outer end supported by said case and communicating with said lamp, a vertical tube communicating with said horizontal tube and open at its ends, a removable inner tube held in said vertical tube with its lower end open and directly above said compass and with its upper end closed, and a mirror supported by said inner tube at the intersection of said horizontal and vertical tubes and at an angle to the axis of each, substantially as described.

Dated this 29th day of June, 1896.

FRANK M. IVIIERREN.

WVitnesses:

RUFUs B. FOWLER, FRANK S. CHILD.

IIC 

